The UK is not a very popular destination for Americans these days simply because of the fact that the dollar is weak while the pound continues to be strong. However, this should not really dissuade Americans from visiting the UK – especially those who like to go shopping. If you have not heard about British charity shops yet, then it is about time that you did.
Charity shops are specialty shops managed by British charitable organisations. Their aim is to raise money for the less fortunate. These shops, in fact, have dual benefits – the money raised is used for noble causes and the prices of goods are very affordable for the shopper.
What can one find in a charity shop? The answer is that you can find most anything! From clothing to shoes to knickknacks to art pieces to crafts – charity shops offer these things. Most, if not all, of the products on sale are made in the UK, making for good souvenirs for tourists.
So where do you start looking for a charity shop? The fact is that not many tourists go out of their way to look for charity shops. In fact, you would not find many tourists in these shops. One good way to start would be to look online, prior to your trip. The web site to start with would be the Association of Charity Shops. The web site is rife with information – everything you need to learn more about charity shops, actually.
Are you in the mood for something different? Are you tired of visiting towns and cities that have the same things to offer over and over again? If you are, then you might want to head on over to the town of Totnes in Devon.
Visitors to this town have one common thing to say about it – it is like talking a trip to the past. Its main shopping street, Fore Street, is reminiscent of an old time town, with small shops scattered throughout. Don’t expect to see generic commercialised shops, either. The shops on Fore Street are for “real” – butcher shops, toy shops, bookshops, and the grocer’s all stand beside each other in a unique mix. Add to this distinctive shops like the Green Fuse (a funeral parlor that is eco-friendly), Rhythm and Light (crystals and fossils, anyone?), and Fairies on the Rise (anything to do with fairies) – and you have a whole new world to discover.
The Friday market is a must for visitors as all the inhabitants of the town can be seen milling around. One notable characteristic is that a lot of them sport dreadlocks, many of them wear kaftans – a sign that the hippy life is on the rise yet again. I suppose that is why many describe Totnes as a bohemian town.
Life is laid back, there is almost zero crime – people love it in Totnes. Understandably, the price of housing is quite high. Yet this has not dissuaded many people from trying to move to Totnes to experience a lifestyle that is more than alternative.
There are countless different types of beers in the UK – it would take hours and hours of reading and writing to detail each and every one of them. So, I took the easy way out and looked for a broader classification of the beers to be found in the UK. One good way to find out more about this beverage is to look at the different regions and see what they have to offer in terms of beer.
The Black Country
This area is known for being industrial in nature and includes Wolverhampton and the West Midlands. The Black Country is best known for its Mild Ales, which was the traditional drink for industrial workers after a hard day’s work. The area is still known for the Wolverhampton and Dudley breweries which currently produce mild ales as well as strong pale ales.
Kent and Surrey
Hops is the key word for Kent, which produces ales with the undeniable flavor of hop. Surrey, on the other hand, is quite famous for TEA. No, it’s not the traditional English breakfast drink but TEA as in Traditional English Ale.
London
Care to have a Porter? Not the guy who lugs your stuff around, but the well known type of beer that London is most known for. Porter was first brewed in the 1700s in the East End of the city and is still popular these days.
Scotland
Scotland in itself offers a wide variety of beers. The Caledonian Brewery is known to have made the strongest impact on the image of Scottish beer and anything from this brewery is nothing but excellent.
When it comes to fashion, British brands are not always the foremost things to come to mind. There is, however, something new that the UK has to offer in terms of street wear – Aerosoul. To be honest, I do not own any item from Aerosoul but from what I have seen, it would be worth buying this brand.
So what is Aerosoul all about? This brand was founded in 1998 by Leke Adesoye, a graphic designer. His vision back then was to create a British brand for street wear and reach out to the rest of the world. Judging by the success that Aerosoul has achieved, Adesoye has fulfilled his vision.
In a feature article on October Online, further information is provided:
London-born Leke began his design venture in the early nineties when, greatly inspired by the burgeoning drum n’ bass and hip hop scene, he sought to capture that energy and innovation in his clothing.By skilfully fusing different elements of these disparate yet interwoven tribes, Aerosoul managed to reach out to several at once. His much-loved “Junglist Movement” T-shirts became the underground logo of a generation, but the brand was soon to establish a wider clientele.
More so, Aerosoul has gotten some prominent names in the British music scene to model their clothes:
The fact that many who’ve modelled for the label have since blown up on the British urban music scene is demonstrative of Leke’s intuition.Included in these, too numerous to mention artists are: Estelle, Roots Manuva, Damage, Paradox, A.I , Karl hinds, Rodney P, TY, Omar and Normski.
Perhaps it is time to head on over to Aerosoul’s web site and see what they have to offer.
Most every major city in various countries all over the world is the same in this respect – they host people from other countries and as a result, become cultural melting pots. London is no different in this regard. In fact, it could be safe to say that London is even more special when it comes to being the crossroads of the world.
People from all over the world come to live in London and bring their culture with them. I ran across a blog entry that presents an interesting perspective on this. This is what MTaylor of ModernBritish has to say:
This collision of culture has made London into the vibrant city it is today. Step into any neighbourhood in the city and there will be cuisine’s from around the world, shops selling fruits from the tropics and spices from the east. No other place in the world reflects the diversity of London. This is in part due to its geographical position. The Pacific Ocean is the antipodal point for the UK and so all land masses are in equal reach of the city. Added are its status as a transport hub and its position as Europe’s leading financial centre, the mix only seems certain to grow.
What is amazing is how the demographic changes, when leaving the city’s boundaries. On leaving London and crossing to the commuter towns of the surrounding Green Belt, it feels like another world. The shops are all neat and tidy, the accents are less rich in slang and none of the exoticness of the city seems to have made an impact beyond its borders. Traditional England has held sway despite the rapid change that has occurred in the city just a few miles away. The faces are also different from that in the city. Not just homogenised, but also different in their outlook. The frantic pace of the city has been replaced by the sedate calm of suburban contentment.
So if you are looking for a unique multicultural experience, I suggest a visit to London. You surely will not be disappointed.
I ran across a very interesting and funny post about being a nationalistic Brit. I never really realized it but there just might be truth in what Miss Scribbler says in her blog – that “the UK is probably the very least patriotic country in Europe.” I am sure that many will disagree with this but her thoughts on being proud about being British should be shared with everyone, in my opinion. Here are some of her points:
Curry. You cannot deny that the best place to have a curry is in the UK. You know wherever you go they’ll have your old favourites; chicken dansak, lamb rogan-josh, prawn bhuna and chicken tikka masala top the list at any reputable curry shop.
Interestingly, these are dishes that have origins from other countries – and no doubt about that, the UK is an interesting melting pot of a lot of various cultures. So why not be proud of being able to have the best curry in the UK? Now I got myself a craving for some curry…
Being given affectionate names by people you have never met before such as bag-packers in the co-op chatting away to you calling you “duck” and “love” when you could be a drug-pusher fall all their sweet hearts know. It warms your cockles, admit it!
Indeed, in many other countries, you do not even talk to people in certain ways unless you know them very well. Only in the UK can one appreciate pet names from people you barely know.
(to be continued)
Now that we’ve looked at the background of the English pub, let’s look at modern day English pubs and see what they have to offer. Again, I have Jed to thank for the particulars in this post.
Closing time
If you are looking for an all nighter, the English pub is not the place to go. Most pubs close at 11 pm – this has always been the tradition. Recently, though, a legislation was passed that allows pubs to open later than this time. However, most pubs still close at the customary time of 11 pm.
Ordering food and drinks
In many other countries, when you go to an establishment that serves food and drinks, you can normally expect to be served at your table. In an English pub, however, you have to go directly to the bar to place your order. Try sitting at the table and you will find out, however long you sit there, you won’t get any service at all. This is not to say that the English are service-oriented. It’s just how things are done.
Do you need to tip?
The answer is no. Some visitors may feel the need to do so but it isn’t really necessary. It might even bring about an awkward moment if you insist on tipping your server. A suggestion would be to say something along the lines of “get yourself a drink on me.” Though this is acceptable, it rarely really happens. So save yourself an awkward moment and refrain from tipping.
If there is a place that you should not miss on a trip to England, it is the nearest local pub. Many people associate the British culture with regular visits to the pub – and rightly so. As Jed says in his blog The London Traveler, “you will never have a hope of understanding Britain unless you’ve spent at least a little time in the pub.” Well let me clue you in on what the English pub is all about.
Historically, the pub has always been the center of community life. Whether it was a city, a town, or a village, it was the same all over England – the pub was the place where people hung out. It was more than just drinking. It was a venue for friends and family to meet and interact with each other. It was a venue for business colleagues to meet and do business.
The term pub actually originates from the phrase “public house” and was coined during the Victorian era. Historians believe that it was the Romans who introduced the concept of the pub to England. The Roman tavernae, where local food and wine was served, is believed to be the ancestor of the modern day pub.
Today, pubs are not that much different in concept from the pubs of the olden days – people still gather at pubs. College friends visit their local pub to relax and chat. Yuppies go to their local pub to wind down after work. Business deals are still made in pubs.
In the next post, let’s look at some particularities of English pubs.
Every year, many families in Britain make it a point to go out of town for the holidays – much like people in other countries, as a matter of fact. For this year, today marks the beginning of a mass exodus out of the major cities into the countryside, spilling over to the bordering countries.
Despite the price of petrol, which has skyrocketed to astronomical amounts in the past year, it seems that a large number of motorists are still going to be on the road. According to a survey conducted by RAC, the estimated number of cars that will be on the road during this season total to about 18 million!
On the other hand, the survey also found out that majority of the motorists is planning to cut their road trips over the next several days. This is mainly due to the high prices of petrol.
Another factor that might make road trips a bit complicated today and in the next several days is the fact that the rail network is due for repairs. This of course means that more people will be forced to travel by car and traverse the roads.
So where are the Britons going during the Christmas season? Though a large number still stick to the traditional celebrations – that is, visiting family members and friends – a considerable number are also opting to go down south where the sun is shining and the breeze is blowing. Who can blame them? Rather than stressing over visits to in-laws, who wouldn’t choose a tropical Christmas instead?
Things to know about English Practice and Tradition
Comment (0) 
Posted on Sep 3, 2007 by Jodie in English Culture, English Life, English News, English TraditionsOne of the remarkable things about English culture is finding out more about local practices and events that are usually of interest to most people today. Through proper searches, the help of affordable search engine optimization by Los Angeles SEO has been a big boost to ensure that people can rely on a list of informative and static list of sites that aim to please the need for such data today.
English has a wide array of things to offer. This can include areas of local traditions, current practices and events, and historical occurrences which most companies differ in more occasions. While studying their local traditions and practices may be of great need to students today, it remains that reliable and consistent content will be a big help to people wanting to learn more about different cultures.
For sure, the primary interested groups would come from students and potential tourists anywhere in the world today.
- English Cuisine
- English Culture
- English Education
- English Language
- English Life
- English News
- English Pets
- English Places
- English Sports
- English Traditions
- General
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- car donations
- Lower My Payment
- Ford Direct
- flights to london
Categories
Archives
Sponsors
Feeds
Metrics
Powered by WordPress | Custom theme by Randa Clay | Copyright © English Blog | Top